Tire-shield.



3. R. RAGSDALE.

TIRE SHIELD.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.16, 1910. RENEWED MAR. 14, 1912.

Patented Sept. 24, 1912.

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. RAGSDALE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF THREE-FOURTHS T GERTRUD'E CREWDSON RAGSDALE ANDONE-EIGHTH TO IDELLA 1M. RAG-SDALE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ANDDNE-EIGHTH TO I). I. SMITH, 0F PADUCAH, KENTUCKY.

TIRE-SHIELD.

LQ397L Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 24, 1912,Application filed August 16, 1910, Serial No. 577,403. Renewed March 14,1912. Serial No. 683,705.

[0 all whom it may concern: Referring to these figures, 2 designates aBe it known that I, CHAuLEsR. RAGSDALE, vehicle wheel of any suitableconstruction a citizen of the United States, residing at having thespokes 3 and the usual rini or Louis and State of Missouri, have infellyl upon which is mounted the pneuvented certain new and usefulImprovematic tire 5, this tire being of any suitable moms in 'lire-ilhields, of which the follow or desired character. in is aspecification. I Preferably my improved shields are held My inventionrelates to devices for pro in place by means of a ring or annular mem-GO reeling p eumatic tires and particularly to her 6 which is intendedto fit within the to that class of tire protectors in which a plutelly4, and to that end is formed with transralitv of metal shields aresupported upon versely extending slots 7 which extend inthe treadsurface of the pneumatic tire, said ward from one edge of the ring plate6 to a shields being held in place so as to conform point slightlybeyond the median line of to the deileetion of the tire and so as to fitthe ring. These slots 7 are for the purpose the tire snugly and firmlyand yet be readily of permitting the ring (3 to he slipped intodetachable. alinement with the telly and past the outer The primaryobject or my invention is ends of the spokes The ring plate 6 is toprovide an improved tire shield of this provided with a plurality ofinwardly eX- character having a very simple and effective tending posts8, these posts being disposed 20 form in which the shields or protectingsecmidway between the slots 7 and in a median tions are elastically heldto the face of the plane. The posts it will be seen extend inpneumaticlire by devices mounted Within ward between each two spokes. These poststhe telly of the wheel, these devices being are similar to stud boltsand are rigidly resilient so as to take up any lost motion, attached tothe ring 6.

25 and so as to hold the shields securely in Surrounding each post is acoil spring 9 pl; but permit them to yield to any dewhich bears ag insta shrttable sleeve 10 ilection oi the tire. which provided withoppositely disposed A further object is to provide a tire pro arms 11extending toward the ring plate and Let-tor composed of a plurality ofsections, slightly outward. It will be seen that the each section inturn having a plurality of ring plate may be casil I slipped inside therelatively small shields, each of'these shields feliy of a wheel orremoved therefrom with being independently yieldable and at the outdilliculty, and that by reason of its onsame time ali'ording a thoroughprotection gagement with the spokes there is no creepagainst puncture.ing movement of the rim. It is held from A still further object is toprovide a conany lateral movement by the devices which struction of thecharacter described in which hold the shield in place upon the )neumaticthe small independent shields are capable of tire. being readilyattached to and detached from The tire protector proper consists of athe supporting means so to permit shields plurality of shield scctlonsl2, each section of a certain form to be substituted for the beingcomposed of a plurallty of shields 13 ordinary shields in Wet andslippery weather having the form of an elongated ellipse and so as togive the wheel a grip upon the road curved to conform to the tread ofthe tire,

which it otherwise would not have. I the lateral extremities of eachshield being Mv invention is shown in the accon'ipanybent over upon themain body of the shield ing drawings wherein: to form the outwardly andupwardly turned Figure l is a fragmentary elevation of a hooks 14:.These hooks are relatively deep portion of a vehicle wheel showing myimor long for a purpose to be hereafter deprovcd tire protector appliedthereto. Fig. scribed. I have shown each sect on ot my 2 is aperspective vieW of a portion of a tire protector as'being formed withsix of vehicle wheel partly in section, the tire prothose shields but ofcourse l do not wish to int-ting devices beingalso partly shown in belimited to this number. section. For the purpose of holding the shieldsof made of such cross sectional area as to have each section in placeupon the pneumatic That I claim is: tire, I provide for each section theoppositely disposed rigid loops 15, these loops having asubstantiallytriangular form an being made of metal. The loops are not designed tobend or give in any way and are of protector sections, each composed ofa plurality of relatively small shields adapted to cover and protect thetread of a pneumatic tire,- a plurality of independent springs ofoppositely disposed rigid loops, a pair for each section of theprotector, said loops being on aged with the opposite ends oi the aproper degree of rlgidity. Theapex. of the triangle extends downward andis en gaged rigidly with the adjacent arm 11 on the sleeve 10, while thebase of the triangle is engaged by the adjacent hooks 14 of the shields12. There are as many of these tire sections as may be desired. All ofthem are drawn into yielding engagement with the face of the tire bymeans of the spring 9. The hooks 1e are formed relatively long so as topermit one of said plates or shields 13 to yield without affecting theother shields of the same section. It will be seen that these relativelylong hooks 14 permit an inward and outward movement of the shields 13independent of each other. It Will also be seen that it is a very easymatter to at= tach or detach the several sections upon the wheel, itbeing only necessary to compress the spring 9 and engage the loops withthe hooks of the shields. Upon a release of the spring 9 the spring willcause the loops 15 to be drawn taut, thus holding the shields firmly inplace. It ;will also be plain that any one of the shields 13 may beremoved in case of wear and another one substituted, and that hence theprotector as a whole may be kept in thorough repair, and that a dainageof one of the shields will not cause the entire protector to be thrownaway or necessitate the entire protector being carried to a repair shop.Furthermore, this peculiar construction permits shields havingdiffererit faces to be attached to the loops 15 to suit varyingrequirements. Thus it is possible to remove several of the shields ofeach section and substitute therefor a shield hav ing a greaterthickness or depth than the shield which is removed, this thicker shieldmeans for each protector section for IGSlll acting as a tooth andengaging the roadway so as to give a lirnrtraction upon the road.

\Vhlle I have illustrated the posts 8 as being applied to an interiorring (5, I of course do not wish to be limited thereto as it woul beentirely possible to put the posts 8 upon the inside of the telly sothat the posts 8 should be a. permanent part of the wheel. Theconstruction illustrated, however, permits my devices to be applied to awheel not equipped with the inwardly extending posts and permits thedevice, as a whole to be easily removed when conditions permit the wheelto be run without an armor.

of protector sections, each section being composed of a plurality oflaterally curved; shields, the extremities of the shields being formedwith hooks, a plurality of inwardly extending posts mounted inside thetelly o the wheel, a spring surrounding each of said osts, a sleeveslidable on the post and urged inward by the spring, said sleeve hemformed with oppositely disposed arms, an rigid triangular loops disposedon either side of the wheel, said loops being engage with the arms onthe -sleeves and with the shields of each section; of the protector.

a plurality of inwardly extendin posts, springs surrounding the posts ansleeves slidably mounted on the posts and'having oppositely disposedarms extending toward the tire of the wheel, of oppositely disposedtriangular rigid loops, the apices ot the ally curved to conform to thecurvature 0 pendent of the adpicent shields an formed with outwardlyextending hoo 4:. A tire protector comprising a plurality osed of curvedrelatively small arcuate shields exdially toward the hub of thewheel andinto engagement with the tread surface of the tire, said meanspermitting the independent mitting the shields to be detachedfromenagement therewith I I In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature inpresence of two witnesses. t v CHARLES R. RAGSDALE. [1,. 5.] Witnesses:I

PHILIP Gms'rAL, JOHN WOODMAN.

1. A tire protector comprising a plurality mountedinside the telly ptthe wheel, pairsadapted to engage over the said rigid loops; r

L00 of independent protector sections, each coma plurality of parallellaterally v ently drawing the shields of said sectionrw shields o thesection and with said springs.

2. A tire protector comprising a plurality 3. The combination with awheel having loops being engaged with the arms on the sleeves, and aplurality of shields, each later-. the pneumatic tire, each shield being1n de being tending transversely, said shields being mdependent of eachother, and independent movement of each of said shields and per-

